The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-22
A PROTEoTIONlsr,s REPLY. No. q.

fessor hollywood, | was even In doubt
whether you would give 1t to your readers,
or your waste basket. The very name of
your paper, FREE TRADER" was an omin.
Gus suggestion. | hence was happily dis.
appointed In the reception accorded it.
Other editors might profltably initiate your
example by opening their columns to die.
cussion of this subject, pro and con, rather
than TO adjourn 1t to heated political can.
vass, In which men are AS tlind TO reason,
as bat is to light; and first let me pre-.
mise.
The present anon slous position OF the
parties on the tariff cannot long continue.
The republican party was formed In SO
upon avowed hostility to slavery Upon
that issue it united in the one party the old
Henry Clay tariff wings and the free soil
free trade democracy The democratic
party took per force what was left, "sllger
gray" high tariff, pro-slavery wings, and
pro slavery, free trade, bunker" damo.ra
cy; and upon the all-absDrbing questions
of slavery, war and re construction, these
incongruous AMI jirring elements In either
organization were firmly held together,
and subjected to party discipline. But
with those questions settled, the cement
that held such warning clemens in party
bonds is dissolving, and disintegration ap.
pears; where the question of slavery uni
ted, the tariff divides, and both parties are
fast separating into factious and hostile
camps.
But public sentiment soon crystalizes
around principles TO form parties not
around parties to suppress principles.
Soon the lines of demarcation will be
drawn between the parties, not, as now,
across item. The traditions and tendency
of the democracy is to free trade; the re,
publican party is committed to "protec.
ton" If these parties retain their organi-
cations, they cannot retain their present
membership. The wedding process has
already begun, The present INDIGESTION of
the democratic party arises, not from apa.
thy upon this question, but from division
in Its ranks. with the party consolidated,
II will force the issue. Professor Boltwood,
former republican, must then act with
the democracy myself, democrat, must
train with the republicans and 30 with
hundreds of thousands of other men--they
must change their party or stitie their prin
ciples. Then this great question will be
fought to its finish" 1t will be the only
question between the parties in the next
campaign, or, If there are others, like the
rod of Aaron before Pharaoh, the tariff
will swallow up all the rest. 1t will down
at the bidding of none; like Banquo's
ghost 1t arises everywhere, and refuses to
be laid. 1t cannot be silenced, 1t must be
selced-solved by breathing into the nos
trlls of our protective system the breath of
new and more vigorous life, by intrench
Ing 1t forever In the very fibre of our In.
dustrial system, to perpetuate and pre-
serve the national prosperity 1t has crea
ted.
In Tariff Reform No. g." appearing
In your last issue, two points only are
made, to-wit: That the Hecla Copper Mine
under protection has become enormously
profitable, and that agriculture is taxed to
poverty, through the tariff, for the benefit
of manufactures, and first as to the cop
per tariff. 1t is argued that duty Of four
cents per pound prevented importation,
destroyed our trade with Chill, drove the
sailors engaged therein out Of employ
ment, crushed out the industry of smelling
Gillian copper, and gave to the nation
nothing in exchange therefor, but dear
copper. A fortune has been made in the
Hecla mine. Thousands of fortunes have
been made at the same time In pursuits
outside the industries protected by the
tariff. What then? Shall we abolish the
law that encourages, by protection, the &C
emulation of private property If the
fortune complained of has been made be-
cause of too great protection to copper, the
tariff in that respect should be modified,
not the whole protective system abolished.
To point out isolated instances of imprOp-
er or excessive protection makes no more
against the system, than proof that some
one patient has been over-dosed, makes
against the system of pharmacy, or the
medical profession.
But has this exaggerated instance of pro,
lection worked the injury complained vt
1t has destroyed the smelling industry!
Well, may Heaven send us more of that
same destruction. There was ten times
the copper smelted in the United States In
SO than in sc during the days of free
trade with Chill. Driven sailors from EN-
ployment! Why we have many more sail
ors now than then What has been lost in
foreign, has been compensated many fold
In domestic commerce; to say nothing of
our railroad system. Our navigable rivers
would reach round the earth, and there Is
more commerce upon the Ohio alone be-
fwaao Pittshurp and Cairo to-day than We